Mindanao MSMEs to join MTE '15

OVER 30 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) in Mindanao have committed participation as exhibitors in the Mindanao Trade Expo-Christmas Bazaar December of this year after the success of the recently concluded Mindanao Trade Expo (MTE) last August 14 to 20 at the Abreeza Mall Activity Center, Davao City.

Marian C. Mahinay, Mindanao Trade Expo Foundation Inc. (MTEFI) executive director told Sun.Star Davao in a phone interview that these MSMEs found Davao as a good avenue for retail sales.

"We are very much happy that right after the MTE 2015, feedbacks from our participating exhibitors are positive that they committed automatically to participate to our next event which is the Christmas Bazaar this December," she said.

Exhibitors coming from different regions are Stoneware Pottery of Northern Mindanao Region, Yvette's Bag of Davao Region, Kahoy Driftwood Furniture of Davao Region and all of the assisted MSME's of the regions in Mindanao.

"We make it sure that all the regions in Mindanao are well represented," Mahinay added.

The organizers recorded as of September 2, that some P23 million were generated in revenues during the seven-day MTE 2015.

"Although it is lower than our P30 million target, we still do not take it negatively, what is important is we met our main target and that is to highlight our budding MSMEs and our four priority raw materials from the island to be developed for 2015 until 2016, namely, water hyacinth, bamboo, coconut and abaca fiber," she said.

But the organizers are still expecting some additional in revenues since they are still up for updating some of the exhibitors who are still not reporting its final accumulated sales.

The P23 million figure will add on the event's record of around P1.3 billion of cash, booked and under negotiation sales, and promoted some 3,000 MSMEs within its 20-year run.

MTE 2015 is staged with support from the Department of Trade and Industry, local government unit of Davao City, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. and Abreeza Ayala Mall. -From sunstar.com